The Throwing Officials' Manual
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THE THROWING OFFICIALS' MANUAL Compiled By George Kleeman, Pacific 2007 This manual is part of the USATF National Officials Monograph Series on how to officiate and the Pacific Association Training . Each monograph covers the various techniques for each officiating assignment. These monographs are intended for more in depth understanding of each job. They are intended for both the novice and seasoned official. They cover the real details of the job and how it should be performed. They summarize various techniques to accomplish the job. These monographs can be copied and used for officials training only USATF National Officials Committee Training Monograph Series January, 2007 Index Subject Page Index i Introduction 1 Safety 2 Definitions 3 Rules 4 Number of Trials/Contestants 4 Ties/Places 4 Call Up/Timing/Absences 4 Aid/Coaching 6 Warm-up 7 Facilities 8 Circles/Runways 8 Set Up 8 Use of Flags/Verbal Commands 9 Competition/Form Requirements 9 Measurements 10 Fouls 10 Disqualification 11 Applicable Major Rule References 12 Officials 13 Proactive Officiating/Problem Solving and Avoidance 13 General 13 Number and Priority of Officials 13 Duties 15 Marching Order 17 Step by Step Activities 17 Before Competition 17 Day Of Competition 17 Warm-up 18 Instructions 19 Throwing Competition 20 Marking Throws 21 Measurement 22 Continuing Competition 24 After Competition 24 Suggested Personal Equipment for Throwing Officials 24 Appendix Appendix A Implements 27 Weights and Measures 27 Appendix B Venue and Sector Layout 31 Sector Layout and Dimensions 31 Venue Layout 33 Discus 33 Hammer 34 Javelin 35 Shot 36 USATF National Officials Committee Training Monograph Series i January, 2007 OVERVIEW OF OFFICIATING THROWING EVENTS INTRODUCTION: This monograph is intended for the new as well as the seasoned veteran throwing official. It includes all you need to know about how to officiate a throwing event at any level including the specifications for the implements. It is intended to be a "how to officiate the event" in a practical sense. It is broken down into three general sections. The first is the rules, the second deals with officials and their assignments, and the third covers the conduct of the event itself in time sequence. There are several appendices, which cover Implement Specifications and Venus Set Up. George Kleeman wrote this monograph with past contributions from Keith Mitchell of the Indiana Association, and Gail Wetzork of the Pacific Association. It is a summary of the current best practices in the United States. It is not intended to be a cookbook but rather a compendium of various methods that can be used. Use what works best for you and your location. The throwing events include the hammer, the weight, the discus, the shot and the javelin. The first four are thrown from a circle and the last from a runway terminated by an arc. When officiating in any of the throwing events keep safety in mind first and always. This is safety for you, your officials and your athletes as well as other officials and athletes that could be impacted by your event. This aspect is covered more fully in a section below. Because we are involved with throwing things, we cause problems. Note the rules for the Masters Superweight and Ultraweight event are the same as for the weight which are the same as for the hammer. Field events, particularly the throws, require athletes to combine the talents of speed, strength and control. The field official must focus on the details of equipment specifications, time constraints for trials, and accurate and consistent measurement. The throwing events are special field events because they include the use of implements which must be measured and checked to make sure that they conform to requirements before the event. Consequently as a throwing event official you will have to know something about the weighing and measuring of the implements. Generally the athletes supply implements. Only in the biggest meets does the Games Committee supply all the implements. Not all of the throwing events are contested at each level. Some high school invitational competitions, particularly in Rhode Island, California and Washington, have begun to include the hammer. It is now part of the Youth and Junior Olympic programs at the national level. The javelin is a high school event in only about 14 states although it is thrown in the local USATF youth programs. The weight is normally thrown indoors but can be contested outdoors. Implement specifications for all of the throwing events are generally available in the USATF rules. Likewise the USATF Equipment and Facilities Specifications Committee, which is a subcommittee of the National Official Committee, publishes a Weights and Measures Handbook and newsletter that covers the subject in significant detail for those interested. Copies are available by contacting George Kleeman, 5104 Alhambra Valley Road, Martinez, CA 94553-9773, e-mail [email protected] or it can be downloaded from the USATF website at www\usatfofficials.com under the Training Chair and monographs. Throws are contested using any one of five rulebooks, High School, NCAA, USATF, IAAF and WMA. In this monograph you can usually consider IAAF, USATF and WMA rules to be identical unless a distinction is pointed out. Note: WMA is the World Masters Athletics which uses the IAAF rulebook with a few additions. SAFETY: By their very nature, throwing events are potentially dangerous events since they involve throwing implements. All officials and athlete in and around these events must be always alert and cognizant of what is happening at the circle. Do not cross runways or the field areas during warm-ups or competition. When in the area, whether in the sector or not, always keep your eye on the runway or the circle. Be prepared for the unexpected. Particular attention must be paid during the warm-up period since the time between throws is much shorter than during competition. Warm-up periods should be under the supervision of an official or coach for all levels of competition. At high school meets, starting in 2005, practice before an event without a coach or official present or practice after an event will result in a warning for the first offense, disqualification from the event for the second offense and disqualification from the meet for the third offense. Cage recommendations are provided in several rule books for some of the events but they are not full proof. Insist that anyone in the field or at the circle/runway stand so that they can move quickly if necessary in case of an errant throw. Coaches, photographers, spectators and athletes should be kept back at least 10 or more feet away from the sector lines during any throwing competition and more if possible. It is helpful to have flagging that runs parallel USATF National Officials Committee Training Monograph Series 2 January, 2007 to and about 10-15 feet off the sector lines to insure compliance. If you are in the impact area, position yourself so the implement will land to the side and slightly in front of you. Remember many of the implements tend to skip when they land so never be directly behind them or too close to them on the side. With the hammer remember the wire and be at least 10 feet away from the impact point. Being too close actually makes it harder to see where the discus or javelin lands. Be attentive to the wind direction and whether the thrower is left or right handed since both facts may impact which way the implement will move in the air and after hitting the ground. Don't be bunched up in the field. In a congested field area you might consider using a horn or other noise device to alert nearby athletes and officials that an implement is about to be thrown. Alternately during warm-ups, let five or six implements be thrown and then close the ring or runway and retrieve the implements. Then reopen the ring or runway for warm- ups. Don't let the athletes retrieve their own implements from the sector unless you have no other alternative, and then only by stopping throwing while implements are retrieved. Do not let anyone go into the impact area except the field officials. Return all implements to the area outside of the sector. They should not be thrown back. If you have sufficient officials or volunteers you can return the implement to the circle or runway. Always keep the athletes and ring officials behind the cage or foul line and at least 6 feet back from the netting while waiting to throw. In the case of the shot anyone around the circle should face the circle at all times. No area within 20 feet of the circle is safe particularly with those using the rotation throwing style. Even if they aren't being released, allow warm-ups with implements only in the cage, the circle or on the runway. Cages are now required for hammer, discus and weight events. Particular attention must be paid to the javelin. Many athletes like to warm-up by throwing the javelin or sticking it out about 10-15 feet. This is fine if it is done on the side in a roped off area but limit the throws to that length. The best way is to make the area only 20-25 feet long. Athletes tend to increase the length of their sticking and thus can impact others if not strictly controlled. All throws longer than about 15 feet should be done only from the runway where people can anticipate them. Always have anyone going out to the field to get the implements or in the field face the circle or runway.